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The Kozlowski Bill Switch

This is another practice video I filmed a while ago for the Kozlowski Bill Switch. The finesses I wanted to perfect included keeping the bill in full view at all times while also showing my palms empty throughout as many stages of the change as possible. Jay Sankey offers a wide array of applications for this technique throughout his work; I believe I learned the original handling from The Magic of Michael Ammar.

For me personally, this was the type of effect I always enjoyed in practice but never really executed much in performance. I always wanted to do more this as a full showpiece rather than a quick trick, but never really studied or developed anything I could commit to. After a performer changes a single into a $100, where else can he possibly go to top that? If anyone else actually uses the Kozlowski Bill Switch, I'd love to session through some alternate ideas for it.

Another worthwhile conversation: is this technique obsolete now? Over the years, various new and uber-visual versions and handlings have been published and released. Is there appeal or logic to seeing a magician fold a bill into such a tiny packet only to change into a different denomination upon unfolding it? To me, it sometimes seems like a very indirect means to an end, but it's a classic so magicians forgive its shortcoming(s).

What are pros and cons about this in comparison to similar effects? I pose this question to encourage members to think critically about the material they perform, themselves.

I love that switch. A Canadian/Filipino mentalist/magician by the name of Erik Mana taught it to me when I first met him. Really nice switch! He uses it in his stage shows whenever he goes to the audience. He performs it as sort of a comedy act. He borrows a bill, 20 or 50 Pesos. Then changes it to a 100 Peso bill. Then he gestures like he is going to hand over the 100 peso bill, but then has a change of heart and changes it back to the smaller bill. He follows that up with Extreme Burn.

Very nice! Personally my favorite bill switch is Ransom, by Chris Ballinger. The switch requires no gimmicks. The handling also leaves you completely clean. I have never really been big into money magic, but it is starting to grow on me. I like it much better than the "traditional" way. I am sure you know what I mean.

Practice Footage - Strong Medicine, Jay Sankey

I plan to debut this at an upcoming gig this month. Jay Sankey's Strong Medicine is, in my opinion, one of his most overlooked effects. After playing with it for a couple weeks, I found that it's an extremely economical way to not only make a torn corner of a borrowed bill transport to any impossible location, but also restore the bill to its original state at the end. I love this piece. It has the same impact as Angle Z, but I find it even more personal because it happens with the spectator's actual money.

To justify the preliminary folding, I plan on saying something along the lines of, "The thing with these new bills is that they're made with stronger paper these days. We have to weaken it a bit in order for this to work. That way, it makes it easier for the bill to ...tear."

Another one of my personal favorites for the technique. I really enjoy how Sankey uses the bill switch in various, different plots. This is one of the more subtle, interesting ways he incorporates it. I didn't know how else to really present the effect outside of a "weird puzzle," but it seems to have gotten a few nice reactions so far.

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